Hate Crimes

What to do if you are the victim of a hate crime, or witness a hate crime, in Colorado:

If you feel your life or health is in immediate danger, call 911.

If the threat is not immediate, report the hate crime to any of the following law enforcement agencies in your area as soon as possible so that evidence can be preserved and witnesses can be interviewed:

If you are in Denver and uncomfortable reporting to police on your own, you can go to the GLBT Center of Colorado and a staff member will help you place the call:GLBT Community Center of Colorado1301 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80218(303) 733-7743

Once you have reported to law enforcement, or if you are uncomfortable or unable to report the hate crime to law enforcement, the Anti-Defamation League in Colorado and the Southern Poverty Law Center collect information on hate crimes. They have simple online forms you can fill out.

To report a hate crime to the Anti-Defamation League, you can do so at this link.

To report a hate crime to the Southern Poverty Law Center, you can do so at this link.

What is Hate Crime?

A hate crime is a threat or act of intimidation, harassment, or physical force that is motivated by bias against a person or group based on their actual or perceived: race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, and physical or mental disability.

What does Colorado law say?

There are both federal and state laws that protect victims of hate crime. Colorado law breaks hate crime into two categories, “Bias motivated harassment” and “Bias-motivated crime.”